sl33p3's 4x4labs bumper building adventure

[juane]

I am really enjoying watching your progress.

Gotta give a hat tip to people who can fabricate stuff, especially in a commercial operation. Imagine designing armor - bumpers, sliders and such, for new vehicles. Not only does it have to fit and function well, it has to be reproducible and make a profit.

Wish I had the skills, and more importantly the mental capacity. I still have a hard time reading a tape measure.

Still, here's a couple of useful modifications I incorporated into my Slee swing out:
A tab just under the spare as a place to rest the tire while hefting it onto the lugs (I also had a Warn hub mounted in the center of the tire carrier which helped slide and glide the tire on to the lugs). As heavy as a 33x12.5 on steel wheels was I needed all the help I could get. (Can't imagine what a 35 or bigger must weigh).

Oh yeah, the tab also protected the license plate light I mounted just under it. The plate was screwed directly into the swing arm.

The other thing was welding a 2" receiver hitch on the swing out to mount a bike carrier. The bikes were high off the ground and swung out of the way with the spare tire.

 

[alia176]

I agree, install a wheel resting lip on the inside of the rim hole. I don't know why the vendors don't do this in the first place. I sliced a short length 4" diam pipe lengthwise and welded that to the carrier. It's way easier to rest the 35" wheel on this thing, spin it and then push it back on to the three lug studs.

I like the 2" hitch receiver too as it opens up all sorts of things to attach to it in the future.

 

[sl33p3]

If you weren't putting that bumper together, I would say something is wrong with you. Get rid of the foosball table for room, empty kegs, what's next, the garage is turned into an arts and craft room or something?

geez guys i appreciate the concern, i'm a little domesticated, not dead! and the kegs will live again, i have a Co2 and beergas setup (N2/co2 mix for nitrogen beers) bottle and regulators... i'm thinking a good pale ale and a nitrogen stout (think guiness)... big problem with me is i can buy all kinds of stuff if i stick with bottles, but it takes me a long time to get through a keg, especially if getting fat isn't an option. honestly even when i had the keg of odells ipa this summer, i bought bottles of stuff when i didn't feel hoppy.

back to bumper talk. i was in town and bought a couple bolts to attach the carrier to the swingarm (luke is sending me the missing ones) so i could actually swing it all the way in (the pics before had the c clamp holding the arm away from the bumper via interference). i also attached the gas strut, 150lbs is no joke. cams very nice and has plenty of hold, will be interesting to see it on an a up-sidehill... i plan to move the wheel out about another .5" or chamfer the back of the post for some hatch sway space clearance. and i already had the idea (and it is a good one) from seeing ali's carrier to do the post/tab/etc to help with mounting the spare on the lugs. as it sits now, as long as you are willing to get dirty, resting it on my thigh gives me all the time i need to line up lugs and is at just the right height..

i'm with you juane, my hats off to pro fabbers, i'm no pro, i'd consider myself a functional hack and i'm working on getting better. i gotta say, having the welder is so liberating to experiment and know you can cut it off and fix/change stuff! sky is the limit! i have an idea to put he bike carrier on the ladder, we'll see if i can recreate my vision, and then if it works. sorta like luke's carrier he sells, but on the ladder.

 

[sl33p3]

Well the fedex guy came today, so I got the second swingout fabbed up, the latch tracked on, the stops set, and the bottom of the ladder tacked up. That was a compound angle nightmare!

Swypo'd from my droid using IH8MUD

 

[sl33p3]

Pic.



Swypo'd from my droid using IH8MUD

 

[sl33p3]

well i snuck out for a few minutes while eveyone was playing with their presents so i could play with mine

got the ladder hoop tacked up, not sure if i'll move that tube rung higher or not, but where it is is where it fits without me messing with it.

its getting closer, next step if i like the ladder after looking at it again will be to burn it all in along with the tire carrier and then pull everything, do some cleanup and paint! wheee.

 

[alia176]

Looking good. Hurry up and paint that thing, we need to go on a local snow run. I went up to the crest and then took a walk down 165. Holy SNOW, no way I'm going in there by myself! Saw a PSD F350 stuck with Sheriff's yellow tape all over. I wonder if this is the truck that Shawn was referring to in another thread?

 

[sl33p3]

Roger dodger, plan is to burn in tomorrow morning, then pull and clean after... Should be priming tomorrow afternoon.

I'd need to bum chains again before we'd even consider it, even with the mighty duratracs!

Swypo'd from my droid using IH8MUD

 

[lurch]

Looking good. Hurry up and paint that thing, we need to go on a local snow run. I went up to the crest and then took a walk down 165. Holy SNOW, no way I'm going in there by myself!

2x

Thought about going down 165 after snowboarding on Friday but since I was into power up to my knees on the slopes.... NOPE

 

[sl33p3]

so getting the ladder initially setup was a batch! you get to set offset from hatch and spacing for the cross member, plus up and down flatness and parallel to the bumper, all with two squirrely tubes to hold. i need to be an octopus! plus since the whole backend has some slope/angle to it everywhere, even "straight" is deceiving... so here is what i worked up and it seemed to work, wish i would have started there instead of tacking and grinding 3 times before it...

i took two straightedges and clamped them to the recovery points, this helped establish to parallel edges to sight down coming up from the back edge of the bumper...

this gave me a way to judge the two top ends and how evenly they stuck out from the swingarm, i added the straightedge across the top so i could look down it and see the edges of the tubes for final check. the tubes were held up by the magnet squares, only using the corners against the tubes. i made clockingpaint marks so i could tell how i much i was twisting them as i adjusted.
this is the sight picture that top straight edge gave.

i sorta winged the gap i wanted from the hatch, i hope it is enough sway space with the motion i might get from 3 jerry cans mounted to it. or the bike carrier design i have in my head. then i had to measure and try to square up the top ladder hoop, the legs were asymmetric out of the box, which i considered using as is since it would follow the window line of the hatch, but in the end went for square (as best i could judge and measure, cuz judging is all jacked up with that many curves and slopes. set teh lean in angle of the top hoop for kinda parallel biased out jsut a bit for clearance again and tacked. as you move your head around looking at different angles its tough since nothing looks parallel at the same time even when you have verified it is. if i wasnt' doing the sleeved ladder so i could bolt other stuff to it (jerry can holder and bike rack) and wanted that square to the bumper, i likely wouldn't have worried about it and contoured the ladder more to the back of the truck, ie somewhat consistent gap from the body, but then the ladder and everything would have been as unsquare as the back of the rig, which is a lot.

so today should be burn in what i got, and hope i don't blow holes in the upper hoop tube, it is the thinnest stuff i've ever done...

 

[sl33p3]

Well its all burned in. that thin wall for the upper ladder hoop is scary chit. I used 3 tips trying to figure out if that was the problem, kept chasing a hole, luckily on the backside of the ladder... This wall doesn't even sizzle, it just hisses, really strange stuff. Scares the hell out of me to full the flare holes...

It's also all painted. letting the last coat dry. Should be able to assemble for the last time tomorrow! It has been very fun, but I'm ready to have it done! Spent another 7hrs today, all final burn in, sanding, cleaning, and paint. Lit the woodstove in the garage, got the bumper to 70 deg. it was toasty!

6 more hours today.

 

[OGBeno]

The welding work makes you look like a pro and s***.

Looking forward to watching you bash the s*** out of that thing...

 

[sl33p3]

The welding work makes you look like a pro and s***.

nah, you've only seen blurry cellphone pics

 

[sl33p3]

well today should mark the maiden voyage. gotta put the bumper on the van, then install spindle seals, grease bearings, likely some paint touch up where i missed something, and bolt on stuff. i wonder how many flaws i've missed i'll see with it painted?

still on the the "to add" list.

• rear oba air chuck mount tab
• spare holder finger gusseting
• old man spare tire support tube
• worklight mount tab on ladder, wiring for it too
• license plate mount and light wiring
• bike rack on ladder contraption

these are all either small things i don't mind sanding some paint and welding on, or stuff i need to scratch my head about...

 

[sl33p3]

TADA!!!!

well after a couple hours of assembly, deflaring, and oogling... all told it puts me at about 36 hours.

the bumper is so clean it looks out of place. i was going to wash everything but the hose is full of ice oh well. i haven't measured but it really doesn't look like the new bumper has pulled down the back much and certainly not past level, if anything its closer to level instead of stinkbugged! the paint is still really soft, i'll touch it up in areas when it warms up a little more.

i was so excited i promptly tried to pull an ali and get stuck in my own driveway... the snow has settled and the top 6 in is heavy crust muck and its powder under that with more frozen much on the bottom... note the axle drag marks, but no spare tire! i locked it all up and would have been stuck (and or shoveling) if it wasn't just barely across downhill and i could turn down it. i'm thinking a snow run to sandias would be a nightmare!

 

[LandCruiserPhil]

Nice job, looks great

What is all that white stuff on the ground?

 

[sl33p3]

What is all that white stuff on the ground?

it's the fun stuff you guys hear about other people dealing with on the news... ;p

 

[pappy]

Kitty litter?

 

[sl33p3]

welded on the plate mount bracket and ran the lights... thought about not mounting to the ladder, but since the ladder is sleeved figured anything i attached would be to it anyway. and if i hate it, well i can cut acouple welds and move it, welders are so cool that way

used these. pretty trick, leds in the fastener head. never even knew they existed. luke pointed me to them.

 

[sl33p3]

jerry can holder build

so in complete denial of the head-gasket situation i decided to work on the jerry can holder for the rear bumper. i am using Luke's kit for the sleeved ladder.

here is the first move.

tack up the bottom hoop

levitate some cans.

front can support

test fit top hoop before welding up the lower section for keeps, and i couldn't resist...

it all looks like it will all work so cut off the tacks of the holder from base and get ready to melt some serious metal. this is the gap i needed to fill from the round on the clamp.

1/4" rod to the rescue

view of closed gap from the top. i ended up running 4 beads in that space to fill it and grind the top of the last flush.

first pass operation megameld.

bottomside after running a bead on both sides of the rod, that small gap is whats left of the 1/4" rod

somehow i didnt' take a pic of the full weld up of the bottom hoop and floor, but lots of wire there. the thinner stuff went MUCH better this time, lets hear it for practice

here is completed bottom hoop tacked back on base and more test fits. the hoops fit the cans snug side to side but need front back room since the bends in the hoop are larger radius than the can's corners. this way they don't rub only the corners. you snug the cans up to teh lower angle to set the front back spacing when cinched.

the whole basket is offset about .5" from dead center so i would have clearance to 37"s someday, no i'm not dreaming at all

empty basket with lower braces on, AMAZING the stiffness they add.

braces tacked on. i need to cut them back off so i can weld teh piss out of the back angle of the lower hoop to teh anchor, oh well, tack first, cut later, then burn

VERY important feature, thanks Luke!

rear bracket gussets tacked on

so this is where i'm glad i was thinking .... note bolt position. i couldn't get it off if i had them the other way after welding on the under braces.

spent about 3hrs on this, fair amount of it was letting the this stuff cool down before i renuked it... i have some def rookie sections of weld where i got lazy, but it all came out good and i didn't have to chase any holes even welding up the thinner upper hoop, just gotta book with the torch speed!

oh yeah and btw apparently you can only have combined 20 smilies, links, pics etc... good to know